06 May 09 Properly Disposing Of Your Batteries

Practically all of us end up using more than their fair share of batteries over the course of a year, whether they be as simple as a couple pairs of double “AA’s” from your remote controls, to car batteries or hearing aid batteries. In fact in the United States the average person will use up to ten batteries at least in the course of a year, most of which won’t be disposed of properly. Which can be a major problem when a lot of people are just throwing out that many batteries a year. Mostly because batteries are notoriously bad for the environment when not disposed of properly for a variety of reasons.

Namely the toxic chemicals that are contained within the batteries that create the chemical energy reaction used to electrically power your electronic devices. These chemicals can pollute bodies of water with lead and various acidic chemicals, making the water harmful to practically every living thing. And when batteries are thrown away and then incinerated, the pollutants caused from burning a battery is harmful to people as they are toxic to breathe. Those chemicals when burned are very bad for the environment as they get trapped in the atmosphere only to be absorbed by clouds and then brought back down to pollute everything in their wake as rain.

Which is why you should always remember to properly dispose of your batteries. Anything alkaline such as most commonly AA, AAA, C, D, or 9 volt batteries you can just throw away with the rest of your trash, as these are not considered hazardous waste. You’ll want to check the label of every batter first however and ensure that it is an alkaline battery before you throw it away. Anything else needs to be disposed of at a hazardous waste management center.

Most cities and towns have such centers to handle batteries that contain excesses of heavy metals and harmful chemicals, but you’ll want to refer to your town or city’s regulations regarding battery disposal.

But you can also prevent the problem entirely by recycling your batteries, through either using rechargeable batteries and then recharging them yourself, or by recycling your batteries by finding a company near you that handles that sort of a process. This way you can ensure that you’re polluting the environment less by taking the proper care in your battery use.

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Tags: 9 Volt Batteries, Alkaline Battery, Average Person, Battery Disposal, Bodies Of Water, Car Batteries, Chemical Energy, Cities And Towns, Couple Pairs, Double Aa, Electronic Devices, Excesses, Fair Share, Harmful Chemicals, Hazardous Waste Management, Hearing Aid Batteries, Heavy Metals, Management Center, Remote Controls, Toxic Chemicals

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Reader's Comments

Theresa | 07 May 2009 7:14 am
Rechargeable batteries are the power source found in laptops, cell phones, digital cameras, mp3 players, camcorders, power tools, remote control toys, electric toothbrushes, electric razors, cordless vacuums, just to name a few. Find convenient neighborhood locations to recycle rechargeable batteries by visiting http://www.call2recycle.org.

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